BLUES keeper Neil Alexander has denied making a mistake for Watford's opening goal as Ipswich Town slumped to their first league defeat of the season.Although Alexander was waiting for a phone call from his wife Joanne, who is expecting his second baby, he explained that was not a factor in conceding.

By Derek Davis

BLUES keeper Neil Alexander has denied making a mistake for Watford's opening goal as Ipswich Town slumped to their first league defeat of the season.

Although Alexander was waiting for a phone call from his wife Joanne, who is expecting his second baby, he explained that was not a factor in conceding.

Darius Henderson's shot went through Alexander's hands and under his body to open the scoring on Saturday, but the Scotland keeper insists he was unsighted.

Alexander said: “We switched off for the first goal and I couldn't see it until it was too late. Jason [De Vos] was in the way when the boy had it and the ball has gone through him and then gone through me. If I had been able to see the ball it would have been a comfortable save, so it was a disappointing goal to give away.

“You have to take your hat off to the boy [Tommy Smith] for the second goal as it was a great strike.”

The keeper revealed last week that he had pulled out of the Scotland squad so he could be at his wife's bedside when their second child is born, and he is now hoping the baby comes before the trip to West Brom.

Despite the two-goal defeat, Alexander believes Ipswich were the better side at Vicarage Road for at least half the game.

He said: “We didn't get going until the second half. We gave them too much respect for the first 45 minutes and we were camped in our own half and didn't clear our lines.

“We passed them off the park in the second half but just lacked that killer instinct in front of goal.”

Alexander feels Town will learn from the loss. He said: “If we take the positives from the second half into every game we will win more than we lose.”